The present disclosure generally relates to rock crushing equipment. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a locking nut assembly for use with a cone crusher that facilitates installation and/or replacement of mantles on the head assembly of the cone crusher.
Presently, rock crushing systems, such as those referred to as cone crushers, generally break apart rock, stone or other material in a crushing cavity between a stationary element and a moving element. For example, a conical rock crusher is comprised of a head assembly including a crushing head that gyrates about a vertical axis within a stationary bowl supported by the adjustment ring of the rock crusher. The crushing head assembly surrounds an eccentric that rotates about a fixed shaft to impart the gyrational movement of the crushing head assembly which crushes rock, stone or other material in a crushing gap between a mantle on the crushing head assembly and a bowl liner on the bowl assembly.
The exterior of the conical head assembly is covered with a protective wear-resistant mantle that engages the material that is being crushed, such as rock, stone, mineral or other substances. During use of the cone crusher, the mantle resists the wear imparted through the crushing action of the cone crusher. After a period of use, a worn mantle can be removed and replaced with a new mantle.
Typically, a locking nut is used to forcibly secure the mantle to the crushing head assembly by applying a large downward force on the top of the mantle. The locking nut includes an internally threaded surface that engages an externally threaded surface on the head assembly. In conventional crushers, downward force is applied to the mantle by screwing down the internally threaded locking nut on the mating threads of the externally threaded head assembly. The turning effort is typically applied by a special wrench having a protruding arm. The large amount of turning effort that is needed to tighten down the locking nut often requires the use of difficult mechanical operations to create the sufficient locking force to adequately secure the mantle on the head assembly.